"The promises design the promises of the covenant…are chiefly of a spiritual nature… [and] now these promises were made, 'were said unto', or spoken of, to Abraham and his seed; that is, they were discovered, made manifest, and applied to Abraham, the father of many nations; and were declared to belong to him and his spiritual seed, even all that believe, whether Jews or Gentiles; for the apostle is not speaking of the original make and constitution of the covenant of grace and its promises, which were made from all eternity; the grand promise of life was made before the world began, and Christ was set up as Mediator from everlasting, before ever the earth was, which suppose a covenant in which this promise was granted, and of which Christ was the Mediator as early; it was made long before Abraham, or any of his spiritual seed, were in being; nor was it made with any single person, any mere creature, Abraham, or any other, but with Christ, as the head and representative of the whole election of grace…." (J. Gill) Rather, the promise the apostle refers to is, by extension, given to all of those who belong to the Savior by faith, since the Savior is the Seed and we are in Christ when we have union with Him through His substitutionary death. – Pastor Schlegel |
